


When The Stars Fell From The Heavens

by RuinousOmen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Evil Molly Weasley, Explicit Language, F/M, Forced Abortion, Miscarriage, Multi, Murder, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sex, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 06:46:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15989861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuinousOmen/pseuds/RuinousOmen
Summary: In a world of death and destruction, where you are fighting for your lives, how far would you go to ensure your friend’s happiness? The final battle that will decide the fate of the wizarding world looms ever closer and as Harry and Hermione struggle to stop a tyrant determined to throw their world into chaos, a glimmer of hope is found. A tragic life that was lost to them is waiting but only time will tell if Hermione is willing to be the sacrifice that is required for him to live again. Will the brightest of stars continue to burn or will it be just another light to be extinguished and forgotten?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I guess it should be noted for new readers who haven't read my works on the other fanfiction sites (under the penname Ryukotsusei which someone else had taken here), and those who haven’t read my fics for a while but I tend to go dark with my writing. I have no idea exactly how dark this one will end up being, but there will be elements in here that need to be warned for. 
> 
> So here’s your warning: As of right now, we will have some graphic violence, miscarriage/forced abortion, torture, and murder. More warnings will be added as needed. This fic will mainly focus on Sirius/Hermione, although I’ll be honest, I am considering adding Harry/Hermione to it as well. There is also the potential for Draco/Ginny in the future, but at the moment I’m still undecided. As always, reviews are loved.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One

 

If there was one thing that Hermione hated, it was being indecisive. Logic dictated to her that if one had all the facts to a situation, then settling on a course of action should be easy. Taking this approach had always worked for her in the past, however, now, even with the facts laid out before her, she was at a loss. 

‘What do I do? Oh, I know I should tell Harry, but is it worth getting his hopes up?’ She stared at the book she’d been reading for the past four hours, her copious amount of notes strewn across the table in front of her. At the moment, she was just glad that Harry hadn’t come over wanting to know what she was researching. Most likely he assumed it had to do with the horcrux hunt but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this side project of hers had been ongoing for a while now… ever since Sirius had fallen through the veil, in fact. What would it mean to Harry to have him back? Was it worth the sacrifice she’d have to make? She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. 

“Oh, Sirius. I wish there was a way to talk to you. A way to find out what you really want… if this would be something you’d wish for,” she whispered to herself. Assuming that her research was correct, and she had no reason to doubt it at this point, there was every chance that Sirius would return from the veil. However for him to remain… “A sacrifice would have to be made. Could I do it though?”

Her attention focused on the book again, in particular the paragraph detailing the return of one particularly brutal man who had been sentenced to death. The final victim to the veil was none other than the disowned, Eduardus Black. At 48, Mr. Black had been discovered conducting human sacrifices. No less than 36 skulls had been found, the residual magic in them not only revealing who they were but how they were killed. Through the use of blood magic, Mr. Black had been augmenting his own powers by draining muggle-born witches. However, by the time that Eduardus Black had been sentenced to the veil, rumors had long been circulating that more than one convict had returned from the land of the dead. When lead to the archway, it is reported that Eduardus Black merely smiled and promised that not even death would stop him.

Many scoffed at his promise, however, I admit that his words chilled me. It was as if he knew something and it was only a matter of time before his words came to pass. Less than a fortnight later, Mr. Black’s executioner had been slain and his mutilated body left in front of the archway. Many thought nothing of it, a coincidence and nothing more. Yet, my doubts remained. Perhaps it was a family member getting even with who they saw at fault for their loved one dying. Quite obviously though, it was a message. 

My suspicions only grew when Hannah Thompson disappeared. Her testimony had been instrumental in Mr. Black’s conviction, as it was her who had seen Eduardus taking her sister and alerting the aurors as to what had happened. Less than a week after her disappearance, tragedy had befallen the rest of the family. Miss Thompson’s parents were found brutally murdered in their home and later, when I had the chance to read the auror’s report, they had found Hannah’s body, torn to pieces and discarded in the same room that her parents had been found in. All the evidence indicated that she was still alive up to the point she’d been returned to her parents house. I can only hope that they were already dead by the time he turned his attention to Hannah. 

It was a murder that even the Ministry could not ignore. Not when Eduardus Black had left his personal calling card at the scene of the crime. Clearly he was taunting them, daring them to come for him. It was only a matter of time for him to make a costly mistake though, and six long months later, Mr. Black was brought to justice once again. Through the use of Veritaserum, they were able to determine how Mr. Black returned through the veil. The revelation chill us all. 

Only through the use of murder can one return through the veil. The act of forcing the condemned through the veil binds the souls together. Within the veil, one exists as nothing more than a shade. Time seems to stop around the condemned and through intensive research, the conclusion is that they’re left trapped within their own minds. The traumatic death of the executioner breaks the spell, forcing the condemned back to the land of the living. However, this rebirth is not without its own problems. To be born, one soul must be connected to another and thus, familial bonds are formed. Once a soul passes through the veil, all bonds are severed save the one formed at the moment of ’death’. 

The Gods only know how many of the veils victims returned to the land of the living, wandered for a short time and then perished due to this lack of connection. Eduardus Black explained how it was his mistress, Elladora Thomas that killed his executioner, Garrett Prewett. However, Mr. Black knew that would not be enough and in the end, Ms. Thomas performed the anima vinculum ritual. By forcing a soul bond with him the moment he emerged from the veil, she ensured that he would survive. 

Hermione sat back in her chair and scrubbed a hand over her face in frustration. The facts were there, if the book she had nicked from Professor Dumbledore’s office was indeed a factual account. If Bellatrix died, theoretically Sirius would return. But that wouldn’t make a bit of difference without the anima vinculum ritual. Without thinking, she stood, pushing away from the desk, ready to give her mind a break from the endless questions. Could she do it? If not her, would anyone else be willing to do it? Would Sirius want to be resurrected? There were so many questions she just didn’t have the answers for and she knew the final battle was coming soon. It was something she needed to have figured out soon, before it was too late.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Harry coming up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. “Harry...”

“He wouldn’t want you stressing yourself out over this, Hermione,” he murmured softly into her hair. In truth, he’d been quietly following her work for some time now even if he hadn’t said anything about it. If it had been any other side project, he might have been furious she wasn’t devoting all of her time to the horcruxes, but this was Sirius. If she had a way to bring him back he would support her as much as he could. 

“You… you know then,” she whispered, leaning back into him and taking what comfort she could from his presence. One of her concerns had been Harry’s reaction. She didn’t know what he would think of her delving into blood magic, even if it was to bring his Godfather back. 

“I know some of it. Enough to give me hope that when this is all over, we might be a family again. All of us… including you,” he said after a long moment. He’d known what she’d done to her parents and understood how lonely she’d become because of it. He’d always considered her family before and he’d be damned if she was left behind. Not even if she somehow managed to bring Sirius home to them. 

“What should I do Harry?” she said and turned so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Would he even want to come back? Bellatrix will die, one way or another and that means no matter what we do, he’s coming back. Whether he stays or not though…”

“Because of the anima vinculum, right? Why don’t you tell me what is is, first,” he said, guiding her over to one of the more comfortable chairs and helped her into it before kneeling in front of her, holding her hands.

This had been one of the things she was dreading and she fought the urge to stand up, dismiss the conversation and pretend he’d never asked the question. However, she knew Harry. If she didn’t tell him, he’d find out another way. Most likely by snooping through her books and notes. While she could lock it all down, she didn’t think that would be much of a deterrence for him. Finally she sighed and raised her head, squeezing lightly at his hands. “You must understand, Harry, that I’ve been pouring over these books and researching since the wedding. By all accounts, the anima vinculum ritual is the only way to keep Sirius’ soul where it belongs. There is no other way, none that I’ve found. And the ritual itself is… well, I won’t say it’s all that difficult. It just requires commitment, you have to be willing to pay the price… so to speak.”

“Commitment. You say that like it’s some sort of wedding ritual or something,” he said, intending to get a smile from her but when she just continued to watch him silently, waiting for something. Understanding hit him then and he lowered his voice to a soft murmur. “It is, isn’t it. That’s what has you tied up in knots. Someone has to marry him. Bind their soul to his.”

“More or less. Whoever meets him at the veil has to be willing to soul bond with him,” she whispered, looking at him steadily, “Now you see my dilemma. He was not with anyone in the months leading up to his death. A stranger or even an acquaintance, will be unlikely to help him.”

“Then I’ll do it. Tell me what I need to do; I’ll help with the bond and he can be free again,” he breathed out. He’d often said he would be willing to do anything to have Sirius back from the dead. If a simple ceremony accomplished that, how could he say no? 

“Harry...” she trailed off, looking away, “It’s not… it’s not that easy.”

“Then tell me what we need to do,” he said earnestly, his eyes so bright they looked feverish with his excitement.

“It’s a soul bonding ritual, Harry. It means sex. Sex to seal the bond, during the ritual itself,” she said, taking his hands again to ground herself. The ritual itself is easy. The sex, while probably awkward, can be done with minimal fuss. However this ritual is usually done at weddings. Why do you think magical bonding is permanent, Harry? Whoever does this is always going to be drawn to Sirius. Could you do that? Could you handle finding yourself attracted to a man who is the only family you have left? To want him in that way? Forgive me, Harry but you’ve never shown interest in men before. Perhaps I’m wrong but… I’m not entirely sure that it’s a position you want to put yourself in. It would be… complicated.”

By the time she had finished speaking, he’d turned his head and settled back to lean against a chair, his expression pensive. It was an impossible situation. Hermione was right, it was beyond complicated and he honestly didn’t know how he’d follow through with the ritual if it involved sex. He’d never had inclinations towards other men and most certainly not towards Sirius. Perhaps with lust potions, but one of the things that the professors had drilled into his head, was that most rituals failed if potions of any kind were involved. A fail safe, if you will. “I’m… I’m not. Not like that… but, Hermione. Who else would be willing to do this?”

In a way, it was a moment of truth. That same question had been plaguing her for months now and finally, someone else had asked it. It was time for her to make her decision. Within the past five minutes alone, she’d seen Harry run the gauntlet of emotions and it wasn’t hard to know what his reaction would be to hearing there was no one else. She couldn’t lay that responsibility on him and she couldn’t just let Sirius die a second time. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and looked at him. “It will have to be me.”


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

 

The proclamation was enough to stun him, leaving him breathless. Deep down, on some level he knew she’d been considering the ritual herself but now that it was out in the open, he was so conflicted. The age difference between them of twenty years was just the starting point. The fact that they could fight over the smallest of things was yet another issue they would eventually have to worry about as well. But really, who else was there? “Hermione… are you sure?”

“I… I need some more time to think about it, to decide if this is really what Sirius would want but yes. If it comes down to it, I’ll do the ritual. But when the fall out comes… please, please stand with us?” she could see that while her words were soft and lacking volume, they pulled at him if the look of anguish on his face meant anything.

Swallowing hard, he finally nodded. No matter what, he would stand by her side in this. There would be terrible fallout, no doubt. He suspected that Ron and Molly would take the news the hardest. What their reactions would be though, was anyone’s guess. Ron, at least, would surely hit the roof. Although, since they had not seen him since the fight when he stormed off, leaving them to continue the horcrux by themselves, there was every chance that Ron had washed his hands of the both of them. In which case, the Weasley’s might not factor into it at all. “You know I will, Mione. You’ve stuck by me through everything. Literally everything… I won’t turn my back on you. No matter what happens.”

“I’m willing, Harry. Merlin help me, I’m willing to do this for both you and him. But, Harry… I think the biggest question here is what would Sirius want?” she said, pausing to look at him quietly. “All the planning in the world is going to mean nothing if he doesn’t want to stay with us.”

“Well, we don’t exactly have a way to ask him, Mione. I think we’re going to have to take it on faith that he will. Besides, he falls out of the veil first, right? How much time does he have before his body collapses and he… dies again?” he asks quietly. He hadn’t wanted to ask but realistically, they needed to know. It would take time for Hermione to get from Hogwarts to the Ministry, assuming they knew the exact moment Bellatrix died. 

“All research points to approximately twenty four hours. But we can’t be certain. Harry, the research that’s been done about the death veil has been well hidden and buried deep. It’s sheer luck that the books I grabbed from Professor Dumbledore’s office even contained this much information. I would say, don’t count on having that long to act. It’d be nice to say yes, we have time but honestly I’m not willing to risk it. If this is to happen… it will happen as soon as I get to the Ministry. If we had a place to go where I could set the ritual up before hand...” she trailed off, knowing that their options were limited. 

“What about Grimmauld?” He knew if was a shot in the dark but anything would have to be better than the death chamber.

“Too many variables. We don’t know when Bellatrix will die, for one. If it’s during your fight with you know who, then there is every possibility that the death eaters will all be focused elsewhere and Grimmauld will be free. However, if it doesn’t play out like that, we could be walking into the lion’s den,” she said, sighing in frustration. “The cottage in Godric’s Hollow is a complete wreck and I would not desecrate the place, nor put Sirius through the pain of returning there. I don’t even know what the condition of my family’s house is at this point. It could be burned down by now, for all I know. It’s something we’ll have to look into, but right now we don’t have the time and assuming it’s in good condition, I don’t want to risk drawing attention to the one place we might have a chance at going to.”

“So the ministry it is. Hopefully we can get you down to the death chamber again, on time,” he said after several long moments of thought, seeing no other alternative. “We need a list of supplies though. What you’ll need to perform the ritual. I’d say we brew some felix felicis but I know better.”

“Yes, I’ll have to go into the ritual free of all potions and charms,” she said with a tight smile. As much as she wanted to boost their chances of this working, she knew better than to do something that would ultimately cause the ritual to fail. “But there are some things that I should start doing to prepare myself. Certain purification spells and rituals. We may not know when she dies but there’s nothing preventing me from doing the purification rituals once a week. Just to be ready.”

“Figure out what you need and then we’ll see about acquiring them,” Harry said after a moment, his mind already working overtime. It wouldn’t exactly be easy to coordinate a supply run but it’s not like they hadn’t done it before. He looked up to see that Hermione was already striding towards her desk, quill and parchment at the ready as she started making a list of what she would need. “You already know what you need, don’t you?”

“I do. I’ve been debating this for a while now. Given the ingredients that I’ll need, it rules out a lot of the smaller towns and villages. That might be a blessing, when it comes down to it. Yes, it’s more people but all the same… it’ll be easier to get lost in a crowd,” she said, quickly writing down the ingredients and items that she’ll need, calculating the amounts she’ll need them in. “I’d suggest Avergavenny. Big enough to have what I’ll need, far enough away not to compromise our current position. I know we’ll have to move quickly, but until we have a direction...”

“No sense in moving if we don’t have to,” Harry replied, nodding in agreement. He watched as she finished off her list and then moved, grabbing her coat. Clearly she wanted to go now, preferring not to waste any time and frankly, neither did he. Taking a deep breath, he moved and grabbed his own coat before they were on the move, quickly leaving the tent and the protective enchantments before apparating away.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

When it came right down to it, neither Hermione, nor Harry and Ron knew exactly what to expect when Voldemort had finally attacked Hogwarts. Sure, the idea was always there that it would be bad and that people would die, but the reality of the situation had stunned all three of them especially when the adrenaline from battle was long gone. Now all that was left, was to mourn the dead and begin to rebuild what was lost. Even with that knowledge, Hermione still moved around with her mind preoccupied with what had happened to them at Malfoy manor only a few short days ago. She felt a touch on her shoulder and startled, only to see that Bill was standing in front of her, looking just as worn and tired as she felt. 

“How are you holding up?” he asked, looking her over in concern. She looked like she’d taken a few hard falls, but otherwise in reasonable shape. However, he’d seen her condition when Dobby had brought her to Shell cottage and he knew that she was far from well. In fact, the first thing she’d done once she was in any condition to move was to undergo a purification ritual. Dread had coursed through him when he and Fleur realized what she was doing but when his wife had delicately asked her if there was more to what happened at Malfoy manor than what she’d admitted to, she’d denied being assaulted, at least sexually anyway. Still, in spite of her reassurances, he had his doubts but she wasn’t being forthcoming.

“It could be worse. I feel like I could almost sleep for a week,” she replied, giving him a tired smile. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to take a long, hot bath and then crawl into the nearest bed. However, she knew that no matter what she did, sleep was unlikely to come or if it did, it would bring the nightmares along with it. “I’m okay though. Could definitely be worse. I’m… I’m sorry for the loss of your brother. I wish there was something that I could do.”

“Me too, Hermione. I guess I was naive in hoping that my family would walk away from this relatively unscathed,” he said, breathing out slowly while running a hand through his hair. In truth he’d believed his family had suffered enough with George losing his ear, not to mention the permanent scars he’d been left with, courtesy of Fenrir Greyback. But his beliefs clearly counted for less than nothing as far as fate had been concerned. “At least we didn’t lose anyone else. We had a close call with Ginny, but mum handled Bellatrix Lestrange just fine.”

Immediately Hermione froze, staring at him in wonder. Was it possible that Bellatrix was truly dead? The last time she’d seen the woman, she’d been part of the Death Eater welcoming party while Voldemort was proclaiming Harry to be dead. She’d fled shortly after and lost track of her, but Hermione wasn’t foolish enough to believe the other witch had abandoned the battle completely. “You mean...”

Bill stepped up then, placing his hands on her shoulders, “She’s dead, Hermione. Mum killed her when she started dueling Ginny. You don’t ever have to worry about her touching you again.”

“She’s dead. Truly dead?” she asked, staring up at Bill, willing the words to be true. Not only for herself, but for Harry and Sirius as well. “Tell me, please! You’re absolutely sure of it. You saw her body yourself?”

“I’m positive, Hermione. I wasn’t there to see it, but mum, dad, Ginny, and George were all there. They saw what happened. Mum killed her and her body exploded on the secondary curse,” he said, giving her a wane smile and then tried to lift the mood some. “Who knew that a common household cleaning spell could kill someone. She charmed the water right out of her. All that was left was dust by the time she blew apart.”

“I have to find Harry!” she said before turning on the spot and sprinting through the room to find him. She knew Bill would be curious as to what was going on. Hell, he’d probably even run her down but she couldn’t concern herself with that now. Seeing a mop of familiar, dark hair, she ran harder, ignoring the stitch in her side that made her long to stop and rest. Finally when she was within shouting distance, she called to him. “Harry! Harry wait, Bellatrix… she’d dead!”

Whirling around, Harry looked at Hermione in shock and crossed the rest of the distance to her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he held her steady, waiting for her to catch her breath. Vaguely he was aware of Bill running to catch up to her but he ignored him for the moment. “You’re positive she’s gone? Tell me, what do you need me to do?”

“I really should go through the purification ritual again but… I don’t think there’s a way. The castle is in ruins and there’s no telling if the bathrooms even survived,” she said before shaking her head, giving it up as a lost cause. “I guess… I guess all that is left is going to the Ministry and trying to get in. I still wish that I knew what he wanted me to do.”

“He’s ready for you, Mione. I asked… when I spoke to him with the resurrection stone. He’s waiting for you,” Harry said, pitching his voice lower so that only Hermione and perhaps Bill with his enhanced hearing could make out what he said. “I didn’t have much time, but I told him what you’d discovered and gave him the choice. If she’s really dead, he’s there and he knows you’re coming.”

All the breath went out of her when she heard those words. She’d suspected that the stone was concealed within the snitch, given Dumbledore’s obsession with the hallows, but she’d had no proof. To hear that Sirius was willing and she wouldn’t be forcing anything on him was a relief. She nodded then, giving him a relieved smile, “I should go then. I’ll bring him back to you, Harry. I promise, I’ll bring him back to you.”

“You’re not leaving by yourself,” Bill said, stepping up beside her. To say that he was curious was an understatement and right now he wanted nothing more than to grill the both of them until he had answers. However, with the excitement the both of them were giving off he knew they’d never stand for it. He was smart enough, however, to figure out the basics. The mysterious “he” that Harry wanted back could only be a few people. The fact that Bellatrix had something to do with it ruled out all but one. Sirius Black. However, everyone knew that he was dead and under ordinary circumstances he would say there was no reversing that fact. However, unless he’d misunderstood them entirely, Hermione had figured out a way to cheat death. There was no way in hell he was letting either of them get away, not until he knew what was going on. 

“Bill, we really don’t have time for this, I’m sorry,” Harry said, moving closer to Hermione. Time was of the essence and if they got bogged down in the explanations now, there was every possibility they would be mobbed by not only the Weasley family but also everyone else in the castle who had lost a loved one.

“Wait, what are you three talking about?” Ron said, finally breaking his silence. He’d noticed Harry and Hermione had been sitting on something big, but neither were willing to explain what it was. He’d been jealous that they were sharing something that he obviously wasn’t included in on, but as Hermione had so helpfully pointed out, he’d lost the right to demand answers of them when he’d left them.

“No time to explain, we really must be going,” Hermione grabbed Harry’s hand and started walking quickly away from them. The last thing she wanted was for Ron to insist on coming as well. How would she even begin to explain to him that she was about to bind herself to a wizard who’d been dead for a couple years now. Worse still is if he decided to watch. No, there was nothing for it, they just had to get away long enough for her to apparate them to the ministry. However just when she thought she was in the clear and started to concentrate on their destination, she felt a hand grab her shoulder but by then it was too late. When they arrived at the ministry, she turned and stared at Bill, her throat closing for a moment. “You shouldn’t have come. What we’re doing… it won’t work for Fred.” 

“No, I imagine it wouldn’t. Not if you’re coming here, not if you’re going to the death chamber,” he replied after a moment. He’d hoped that whatever she was doing could be done for Fred as well, but given that he wasn’t sure what she was even doing, he was willing to accept her words at face value for now. “I’m right aren’t I? It’s where Sirius died after all.”

“Yes, that’s where we’re going but we don’t have the time to talk about this. Someone might notice us,” she said after a moment and then quickly began to dig deep within her beaded bag. “Now, we don’t have Polyjuice this time but I kept the badges from the last time we’d come here. It should at least get us in the door.”

Bill and Harry both took the badges that Hermione had offered them, each hoping that they hadn’t been flagged since the last break in. Quickly they made their way down to the entrance, noting how absolutely deserted it was. Clearly news of the attack had gone out and it seemed like most of the wizarding world who had not been fighting in the battle had gone into hiding. It was only a few more short minutes and they were within the ministry itself and again, the absence of people was staggering. Harry finally made the first move and started leading them towards one of the lifts. “Come on. It may be empty now but I don’t want to run across someone who doesn’t realize we won yet.”

As Bill brought up the rear, he scanned the room to make sure that no one inadvertently stumbled upon them and only once Harry and Hermione were in the lift did he step in and shut the doors. Immediately the lift lurched into motion and began taking them down to level nine, the Department of Mysteries. Keeping his wand in hand, he watched the doors slide open again and took a cautious step out, making sure the coast was clear before he gestured to the others to follow him. 

“I remember this now,” Hermione said as she stepped around him, her wand out and ready to be used as she lead them through the black door. Immediately upon closing it, she marked it with an x, the flagrate spell leaving her lips easily. She reached out, holding onto Harry’s jacket when the room began to spin around them and finally when it stopped, she cautiously reached out to open one of the doors. She frowned when the knob would not turn, nor would it open through the use of an alohomora. It was then that she understood and made another x on this door. “Love chamber. There’s no way for us to get in there and truthfully, it would be pointless. An Amortentia fountain will be of little to no help to us now.”

“I don’t even want to know why the unspeakables would need an Amortentia fountain to begin with,” Harry muttered and shook his head, waiting for the doors to stop again. When it did, he was the one to open it this time and immediately closed it again so that Hermione could mark it. “Hall of prophecies.”

“Perhaps third time will be the charm?” Hermione said, feeling more than a little anxious and then grasped the door knob to the next room, turning it slowly. The moment she opened the door, the air left her lungs and she paused to compose herself. Taking a ragged breath, she looked at Harry, “I know you’ll want to go to him but you can’t. Not until I’ve completed the ritual. Do you understand, Harry?”

“I understand,” he murmured thickly, knowing she wouldn’t be cautioning him now if she hadn’t found the correct room. As much as he wanted to charge in there, he knew that to do so would risk everything. “I know. I know what you’re about to do and I know you probably don’t want an audience for it but… I don’t know that splitting up is a good idea either.”

“It really isn’t. Look, Harry, I’ll leave it to you though, whether you wish to go in with me or not. Whatever you want to do though, decide quickly. I don’t want to be here any longer than necessary,” she replied after a moment’s thought. She didn’t want an audience for this either but she just couldn’t see any way out of it.

“There’s only one way in, one way out, right? Short of apparition?” he asked, looking thoughtfully at her, “If Bill and I were to guard the door?”

“No, Harry. Someone could engage us and she’d be virtually unprotected in there. We all go in together. If our presence bothers you that much, we’ll keep our backs turned but you won’t be doing this alone,” Bill said, immediately countering Harry’s suggestion. He was starting to get something of an idea of what Hermione was planning but he wouldn’t speak the words. If his hunch was right, then neither her, nor Sirius would be in any shape to defend themselves, wands or no wands. 

“Fine. We go in together but if something goes wrong, Bill, I want you to get Hermione out of here. I’ll figure out a way to get Sirius out,” Harry said after a moment, staring at him intently. 

Bill held eye contact with Harry for a few beats longer before he pulled a necklace over his head and tapped it with his wand, turning it into a portkey and pressing it into Harry’s hands. “If shite goes South, you know what to do. It’ll take you to Shell cottage. I can’t risk side along with four people but I can get at least Hermione out, possibly Sirius too. If you use that, we’ll meet you there.”

“Now that that’s settled, come on. We have someone to save,” Hermione whispered, at long last pushing the door completely open and exposing the others to the gloom contained within.


End file.
